


The Runner

by lovetheChace



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-26
Updated: 2012-08-24
Packaged: 2017-11-08 16:45:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/445328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetheChace/pseuds/lovetheChace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world thinks they know Liam Payne.<br/>One fifth of the most powerful boy band in the world. He's handsome, charming, and decent. Always looking out for everyone else. Stable girlfriend of two years.</p><p>But Charlie knows the real Liam Payne.<br/>The boy who she fell for with any consent, broken down and charmed by his honey voice and convinced by his assuring promises to be there whenver she needed him. The boy who she felt like was the only left with her in the dark.</p><p>And the boy who left her to go chase his dreams two years ago. When she was pregnant with his child.</p><p> </p><p>And now he's back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's Not Like He Can't Drink, He Just Doesn't Like To

Before I start, let me get something straight.  
 _I'm not usually a complainer._

 

**_But sometimes, when everything you have is gone, anger is all you have left._ **

 

 

 

Oh and one more thing.  
 _Liam Payne fucked me over._

 

 

*

 

 

_**Fact #1: It's not like he can't drink. He just doesn't like to.** _

 

 

Before that night, I didn't notice much of Liam Payne around school. He was in the grade above me; class president, on his way becoming school Valedictorian, top grades, a born sprinter with a matching stable girlfriend to boot. Clean cut.

 

The first time I remember truly noticing him was at the school Athletics Carnival, when he was called for the 100m sprint final. He tore up that spongey course like he was flying.

 

I don't think he took much notice of me either, apart from probably noting what a great cover girl I'd be for a pamphlet warning parents who to keep their teenagers away from. Yeah, I wasn't exactly a model student. In fact, I didn't pass most my classes, a terrible permanent record and a criminal file to throw into the lot.

 

Looking back makes me want to laugh, at how impossibly cichled it was. There was him; the tall, handsome, smart, athletic son whose parents were the envy of everyone else for producing such worthy offspring. Then there was was me. I didn't have parents. Instead, I had the parties, the alleys and the drinks.

 

It was almost ironic to think that of all the places where I could have slipped up in my sixteen years, I had to do it with him. I had to bring him crashing down with me onto the ground. But he had gotten up, dusted himself off and told me he'd be back to help me. Like a good boy would.

 

And he left me lying in the dirt, with nothing but his empty words and promises.

 

 

*

 

 

_"Guess who's just arrived?"_

 

_"Who?"_

 

_"You know Mr. Perfect?" Cece leant in and smirked at me. "The one who you were clearly checking out the hall the other week."_

 

_"Please," I scoffed, "I wouldn't tap that unless he was paying."_

 

_"Just your luck, he might be," she snickered, glancing over her shoulder at him, "Look at him! He clearly has no idea what's he doing."_

 

_I snuck a glance over her shoulder at him. It was true, Mr. Perfect was there, nudging his way awkwardly through the crowd of dancing bodies, looking uncomfortable. What was he even doing here? Didn't he have some tests to be studying, or races to be running, or girlfriend to be tending to?_

 

_"Charlie!" I jumped and looked at her and she dug me in the ribs with her elbow. "You could be more subtle."_

 

_"I ain't got nothing to be subtle about," I shot back, tipping my red cup back. I licked my lips, savouring the taste of cold beer. "Who invited him?"_

 

_"Who bloody knows, probably Travis just to get a kick out of him being beaten up." I chortled and shook my head, but still watching Mr. Perfect slide through, only to make the stupid mistake of accidentally being knocked into someone. A drink was spilt. Big deals were made. I watched, torn between being amused by his incompetence, or worried that Cece's prediction would come true._

 

_Eventually, it got to a point where someone had to step in. Pushing people out of my way, I made my way over._

 

_"What the fuck are you even doing-"_

 

_"Trav, what's up?" I asked, not looking at the stranger. "Is there a problem?"_

 

_"Nose out, Charlie," he scowled, looking pissed off. "This prick here just knocked me over and got me drink all over me."_

 

 _"I'm sorry!" interrupted the guy, which was the dumbest thing he could possibly have done in that situation._ Bam _. Right in his stomach. He doubled over and Travis looked ready to dive in for a second blow, probably to the face or worse. I intervined quickly._

 

_"Calm the fuck down Trav," I snapped, grabbing the guy by his elbow and pulling him away._

 

_"What bloody business is it yours?"_

 

_"I don't want this party calling round the bobs again," I replied, "Just keep your fucking ego in check." Scowling, he turned away as I pulled the latter out from the crowd. We stood next to the drinks table, away from the pounding speakers so I could hear him slightly better. He was still bent over double, but as my hand brushed his shoulder, he shot up. I was taken aback at first._

 

_I never saw him out of school, but he looked different. Yeah, I do admit, he looked good. But he wasn't my type, he was too pretty._

 

_"What the hell were you thinking?" I demanded, and he scowled, looking a little taken aback._

 

_"Well, obviously everyone here is just as bad as him."_

 

_"See, that's the sort of shit that would have gotten you beaten up," I said, before adding under my breath, "No bloody wonder." He looked at me uncertainly, and I convinced myself that I might have seen a flash of recognition in those brown eyes._

 

_"Thank you," he said finally, and rather graciously. "I'd probably be dead if it weren't for you." I scoffed at the exaggeration and slugged, muttering._

 

_"Yeah, you would." For some reason, he followed me, probably because I was the only he knew._

 

_"So is this there any point to this party?" he asked and I rolled my eyes. Worse. He was completely hopeless. I grabbed the first cup I saw, emptied it into a nearby vase and shoved it into his hands. He stared at it blankly as if he had no idea what he could possibly do with a cup._

 

_"You drink." I turned and sifted away,_ _slid back through the crowd to get more beer._

 

_"Wait-!"_

 

_Sick of him, I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me into the dancing crowd. At first, he was stiff and uncomfortable, constantly staring at me like I was crazy. After a while, he finally got down and relaxed. And I tipped my beer into his cup. And he drank it all. I was surprised to find him actually entertaining and fun when he was slightly drunk._

 

 

You're perfect little body m-m-makes me fall apart

 

 

_"What's your name?" he yelled over the music, his hands somehow finding their way to waist. I was actually enjoying it, before I caught sight of a few people. I threw his hands off me and turned to face him while continuing to dance._

 

_"You don't need to know." He looked amused and shook his head slowly._

 

_"Mysterious then." I laughed loudly and a little cruelly._

 

_"You have no idea." He stopped dancing, stepping forward and suddenly reaching out and touching my cheek with his hand. The gesture was uncommonly gentle that I was startled. I barely had time to jerk away when Jock turned up. God, was he always looking for trouble?_

 

_"Who are you then?" demanded Jock roughly, pushing out of the way. I stumbled back. "I don't know you. What the fuck are you doing at my party?"_

 

_"Jock-" I started angrily, but he held up his hand to silence me._

 

_"Who do you think you are?" he sneered, shoving Mr. Perfect in the chest. He stumbled back, caught off balance and looking uncertain. "You keep your hands off her!"_

 

_"Asshole!" I snarled, grabbing Jock by his shoulder and yanking him backwards, "You fucking dickhead, just piss off!"_

 

 _"So you gonna bang some of_ that _tonight then, Charlie?" he demanded, still sneering, "Lowering your standards there."_

 

_"Leave him alone," I said through gritted teeth, "Get out of here Jock. You don't own me no more."_

 

_"We're not over," he warned me, but Mr. Perfect had to intervene once again. Did he not know how to listen and just shut his mouth for a few seconds?_

 

_"Hey buddy, why don't you leave her alone?" It was almost as though he wanted to be taken a shot at._

 

_"Why don't you fuck off?" asked Jock, shoving him again. As soon as he regained his balance, Jock was on him again. "Dumb fuck."_

 

_"Jock!"_

 

_"Control yourself." I should just put duct tape over his mouth._

 

_"You telling me what to fucking do?" snarled Jock, shoving him again, "Why don't you go run home and screw your boyfriend, you fucking faggot?"_

 

_"Don't turn this into-"_

 

_"Jock, I'm fucking warning you!" I yelled, grabbing him and pulling him away. "Just lay the fuck off."_

 

_"This piece of shit..."_

 

_"No wonder she doesn't want you anymore." I turned to Mr. Perfect, anger in my eyes. Jock on the other hand, had just turned a mixture of bright red and purple._

 

_"Oh," he said quietly, bending his knees and rolling up his sleeves, "Oh, you just crossed the fucking line." In a flash, the two of them were brawling like crazy fucks, scrambling over each other trying to land badly aimed punches where they could. Everyone had turned to stare, and even started cheering them on, while I tried to desperately fend them off each other before they could hurt somebody._

 

_"JOCK!" I yelled, able to grab his fist as it swung back. I yanked him back and Mr. Perfect dropped his guard, apparently thinking their pathetic brawl was over, not before Jock swung his other loose arm and landed a strike right in his jaw. "STOP IT!" He wrenched himself out of my grip, leering at his opponent who had stumbled backwards and was now propped up against the wall with one arm, the other rubbing his jaw._

 

 _"Just fuck off!" I snarled as the crowd began to disperse, and I placed myself between them. I raised a finger warningly. "You're taking this_ way _too far, Jock." He smirked at me, then turned and walked away, slugging his jacket back over his shoulders as though it didn't bother him. I turned to him, still propped up against the wall, massaging his face. Impatiently, I took his hand, grabbed a handful of ice and tried to press it to his jaw but he jumped, nearly sending the ice flying everywhere. Scowling, I became conscious of all the eyes still on us._

 

_I filled up my cup with ice, grabbed his arm and tugged him away from the rest of the party. I caught the eye of Cece who was smirking at me. Bitch._

 

_Seeing no other option, and yes maybe because it was the first place I could think of for privacy, I led him up the stairs to the other rooms in the house. I didn't know whose house this was, but I knew my way around. Brushing past a flustered looking couple, he looked confused as I pulled him into the first bedroom. I sat down with him on the bed, holding up his chin and taking a handful of ice in my hand, before slowly pressing it against his cheek. He winced, but his eyes remained fixed on me. He hadn't said a single word._

 

_"You've gone quiet." I spoke, but avoided his eye. I could smell the faint trace of alcohol in his breath. Closer, his eyes were a deep rich brown, with flecks of colour in them. His hair was brushed to the side in that annoying fad hair, but somehow with his build and face, it suited him well. I moved my hand around a bit, feeling out the bruise forming on his jawline. I could feel the ice melting under the heat of my hand and I shook it off, scooping more ice._

 

_"Who was he?" he asked, sounding removed. "Jock."_

 

_"Just a guy I know," I replied, shaking my head and shuffling on the sheets slightly closer to him._

 

_Our knees bumped and he looked down, momentarily distracted. I tucked my hand under his chin and pulled it back up. His eyes finally caught on mine. The alcohol in our bloodstreams must have been fuelling us, because for some reason, I was drawn to him, in his jeans, and red and white shirt. His hand reached out cautiously, and instead of travelling to touch my leg or waist, he placed his hand on my cheek like he had before Jock had interrupted him. It was gentle, but as he used his other to hand to push my hand of ice away from his jaw, it turned into something which was anything but._

 

 _"I, I-" I stammered uncertainly, finding myself uncertain when it came to this situation. It wasn't anything to do with me. It was_ him _. But as his lips pressed against mine and he tipped me back onto the bed, I realised that he must have done this a million times before, just by the way he moved._

 

_Every gesture, as he leant up and flicked the light off, or leant down to kiss me again, it all felt like my head was out of it. I vaguely remember his touch, or the pulling and the feel of his lips on my neck. And there it was- the sensation that rose up in me like it did with every other guy. The undeniable pleasure, somehow amplified that night. Only because of the fact that we were both drunk. As he told me later, he was beyond drunk. But in that moment, it felt more than just two teenagers going at it at a party in someone's bedroom._

 

   _It was over pretty fast, I didn't expect him to be in good as bed as he was at sprinting. It wasn't as though I hadn't done it before, on the contrary, I had done it more times than most people my age._ _But lying in the dark, with cold sweat on our necks and our chests heaving out of breath, I felt something else rising in me. Ache, in my chest. I hated that, I hated anything at made me bristle with anything that wasn't anger, or spite. He lay next to me, both of us naked, lying on top of the sheets. He rolled over and stared at me, his eyes were slightly fuzzy._

 

_For some reason, I felt angry. He would probably consider this a giant mistake the next morning- and guess what, it probably was. At least now I could brag about bedding Mr. Perfect. I didn't even know his name. Then he had his role model girlfriend, what would she think of this? I jumped at his touch, the sensation of skin against skin as he ran his fingers up my arm. I could feel goosebumps growing on me._

 

_Unable to control myself, I pushed his hand off me and kissed him roughly instead. He took as an open invitation to dive straight back in again, and I let him. I let him until I lay there finally, realising what a stupid thing that I was doing. Without further explanation, I sat up and grabbed my discarded clothes, pulling them back on as fast as possible. He struggled to sit up, looking confused. He opened his mouth, probably to say my name, only to realise he didn't even know it. I snatched my shoes up, and without another look at him, I walked out the door._

 

 

Girl you look good, won't you back that ass up   
   You fine motherfucker, won't you back that ass up  
 

  Call me big daddy, won't you back that ass up  
   Girl who is you playing with, won't you back that ass up

 

 

   _The party was still going. I pressed my back to the door and let out a heavy sigh, closing my eyes._

_What had I just done?_


	2. He won the Principal's Award for Citizenship

 

 

Choose your friends wisely.  
 _They can change everything._

 

**_When they're all you have, you might just realise how alone you truly are._ **

 

 

In my case, I was the loneliest person in the world.  
 _I was left clinging to the rags of hope dipped in guilt, anger and kerosene._

 

 

*

 

 

 ** _Fact #2: He won the Principal's Award for Citizenship._**  

 

I wasn't even the first to know.

 

It was Cece who noticed it to begin with, and once that happened, it spread through the school like wildfire. Everyone knew.

 

And the worst part was, I had hardly realised it myself when he walked up to me and demanded to know whether it was his or not. What hurt most was that he hoped it wasn't.

 

*

 

_We were in the bathroom, ditching class with a few other girls I knew. Cece was leaning over the basin, drawing on the mirror in permanent marker, her tongue poking out. The others were passing a drag around, and it reached me. I took it, taking a long, deep breath in._

 

_"What do you think?" she asked, leaning back to inspect her work. I got up, still holding the smoke between my fingers._

 

 _"Your a whore?" I said, puffing out smoke and grinning. "I think it's the wrong sort of_ you're _, Cec."_

 

_"And who the fuck are you, Mr. Collins?" she demanded, grabbing the smoke and taking a drag herself. I snorted. Mr. Collins was the English teacher, who I only respected because he didn't care if we didn't come to class._

 

_"I think it's classy," snickered another girl, accepting the drag. I think her name was Lily, but it didn't suit her. She had three piercings, and her bottle blond hair had pink and black streaks through it. "Everyone who looks in the mirror'll be a whore."_

 

_"Talking about whores," said Cece, prodding me with her foot, "I've been meaning to ask you, Charlie, what happened at Jock's party?"_

 

_"Are you joking?" I scoffed, puffing out more smoke, "Talking about whores..."_

 

_"Seriously, are you guys back together, or no?" she demanded._

 

_"He's a fucking prick, that's what he is," I mumbled, "I tried, I mean I told him I'd go out with him the other day, then I catch him beating up-"_

 

_"The guy you slept with at his party!" smirked Cece, "No wonder."_

 

_"He had a go at him at the party too," I replied evenly, "Fucking dickhead, can't listen for once."_

 

_"From what I've heard, he can't keep it in his pants either," said Cece, passing the smoke to me. I took a deep drag. "Apparently, he's nailing someone." I coughed._

 

_"Who?" I demanded, taking another much needed drag, "Who the fuck is he screwing around with now?"_

 

_"Some dumbass skank from year eleven. Her name's Milly," answered Lily, and her friend, who I think was called Harriet, scoffed._

_"Don't sweat it, she's a cheap slut."_

 

_"Damn right, she's a cheap slut," I muttered, folding my arms over my chest. "Fuck that, Jock can screw who he likes."_

 

_"You screw who you like," sneered Cece, "Mr. Perfect at his party?" I smirked at her._

 

_"What about him?"_

 

_"Oh come on, Charlie, like everyone didn't see you coming out from that bedroom with your fucking shoes in hand!" she snickered. "How was he?"_

 

_"Who's this?" asked Harriet._

 

_"Mr. Perfect," I replied, and she raised her eyebrows at me._

 

_"Who the fuck is he?"_

 

_"He's the sprinter, Rettie," Lily explained patiently. "You know, the fitty?" The two girls shared a knowing smile._

 

_"What?" I asked distractedly, "What do you girls know about him?"_

 

 _"I don't know," said Lily, kicking her legs up, "What do_ you _know about him?"_

 

_"Nothing," said Cece, "Apart from the fact that Charlie's fucked him already."_

 

_"You what?" said Harriet, looking shocked. I felt vaguely smug about it._

 

_"Yeah," I said casually, with a shrug, "At Jock's party, like a month ago."_

 

_"He's got a fucking girlfriend, Charlie," said Lily, looking a little impressed as well. "Didn't see that one coming. He's dating Sasha Montgomery, you know the nice to everyone insufferable bitch? Isn't he well, like- perfect?"_

 

_"Mr. Perfect," Cece and I responded in unison._

 

_"That's not his name," scoffed Harriet, "His name's Liam Payne." I blinked. Now I knew his name, it suddenly felt different. Like I actually knew him as a person, when all I had done was sleep with him. I wondered if he knew my name._

 

_"Liam," I said quietly, letting it roll around in my mouth, tasting the way it felt. Yes, it suited him. I had seen him strolling up and down the corridor a few times, but we didn't make eye contact. He still had his fad hair- swept to the side, wearing his shirts and jeans like a normal teenager, yet still turning heads. It was those eyes. Like dark honey._

 

_"Charlie?"_

 

_I blinked feebly._

 

_"Never mind her," smirked Cece, "She's just off her period, isn't she?"_

 

_"Me?" I said accusingly, "I'm not just off my fucking period." Cece regarded me warily._

 

_"Oh don't play us Charlie," she said, rolling her eyes, "Ours are synced, and mine ended last week." Suddenly, a flashing thought came to me. My period. I hardly paid attention to it until it arrived, but Cece was right- we usually had our's around the same time. That meant..._

 

 _For the first time in a long time, I felt genuine worry surge through me. The night spent with Mr. Pe- Liam rather, was a night of strange happenings. Wild things in other peoples beds._ Unprotected _wild things. My heart hammered._

 

_So that afternoon, I dropped by the drug store and inconspicuously bought what I needed. When I got home, all I had to do was wait._

_And wait._

 

_But someone must have seen me- seen me at the drug store, or maybe Cece suspected something and spread it._

 

_The next day at school, everyone knew. In fact, everyone else seemed to know before I did._

_But during third period I sprinted down the hallway to the bathroom, the stick shoved carelessly up my skirt, breathless. I had never been so truly scared in my life. It was as though my entire existence was hovering on one stupid test result- like my GSCE’s, though honestly, I wouldn’t care less about those exams._

_I sat myself into a cubicle, after firstly checking there was no one else in the bathroom. The door was still hanging open so I could see myself in the mirror. I plopped the lid of the toilet shut and sat down, my heart racing so fast it had started to hurt. Scared stiff, I reached up and plucked the stick out from under the hem of my skirt._

_It lay face down in my palm, glaring at me insistently as if daring me to take a glance. Gently, with trembling hands, I flicked it over so it finally stared up at me. A moan slipped from my lips and I jerked away, the piece of plastic clattering to the ground. I withdrew, my breath suddenly choking in my throat and I found myself unable to breathe. Gasping, I brought my knees to my chest and rocked back and forth, my heart thudding traitorously loud and vicious against my ribcage._

_It felt like the whole world was crashing around me, like the tender upholds of my existence had slipped away. I was alone. After everything, I was so alone._

_For the first time since I could remember, tears brimmed in my eyes and I glanced at my reflection. I just looked like a feeble little girl, holding herself and trying not to cry. I took in a shuddering breath- which hurt like fuck, but I realised I needed all the strength I could muster, as I looked down at the traitorous pink positive staring up at me._


End file.
